One of the best ways to enjoy the warm, long days of summer is by experiencing the many incredible festivals and events that are held across Canada during the season. With summer just around the corner, these events can also be a fantastic focal point for your next vacation. 

In this light, we highlight our picks for the best events across Canada for the summer months.

Alberta

Calgary Stampede
Where: Downtown Calgary, AB
When: July 7 to 16, 2023

The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo and exhibition, famous for its parade, stage shows, bucking broncos and chuckwagon races. Tracing its roots to the first fair organized by the Calgary and District Agricultural Society in 1886, the modern stampede is one of the biggest events of its kind and is regularly attended by millions of people from around the world.  Click here to learn more.

Big Valley Jamboree
Where: Camrose, AB
When August 3 to 6, 2023

Locally referred to as BVJ, Big Valley Jamboree is a summer country music festival held in Camrose, a small city southeast of Edmonton. With top country music acts performing as headliners, the festival is a must-visit for country music fans. Click here to learn more.

British Columbia

Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival
Where: Vancouver, BC
When: June 23 to 25, 2023

Billing itself as North America’s “flagship dragon boat festival,” the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat festival is one of the largest events of its kind. The festival celebrates Chinese culture with pavilions, live performances and, of course, exciting dragon boat races. Click here to learn more.

Abbotsford International Airshow
Where: Abbotsford, BC
When: August 11 to 13, 2023

Officially recognized as Canada’s National Airshow, the Abbotsford International Airshow is a three-day event that features aircraft displays and an exciting line-up of world-class aerial performers, including the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. Click here to learn more.

Manitoba

Red River Exhibition
Where: Winnipeg, MB
When: June 16 to 25, 2023

Also known as “Red River Ex,” Red River Exhibition combines agricultural exhibitions with “more than 50 midway rides and over 200 hours of live performances.” The event also holds juried art, photograph and quilt competitions. Click here to learn more.

Winnipeg Folk Festival
Where: Birds Hill Provincial Park, MB
When: July 6 to 9, 2023

Thousands of folk music fans troop to the Winnipeg Folk Festival every summer. Held at Birds Hill Provincial Park near Winnipeg, the festival boasts a stellar lineup of folk music performers, as well as a central meeting “village” with food vendors and nearly 50 artisans selling handcrafted works such as jewelry, clothing, pottery and musical instruments. Click here to learn more.

Nova Scotia

Halifax Jazz Festival
Where: Halifax, NS
When: July 11 to 16, 2023

Formerly known as the Atlantic Jazz Festival, the Halifax Jazz Festival calls itself the “oldest jazz festival and largest summer festival in Atlantic Canada.” The festival hosts up to 65,000 visitors, who come to watch a strong line-up of jazz musicians perform over several days. Click here to learn more.

Halifax Busker Festival
Where: Halifax, NS
When: August 2 to 7, 2023

A summer showcase of local and international street performers, the Halifax Busker Festival (also known as “Buskerfest”) promises entertaining fun for the whole family. Click here to learn more.

Ontario

Stratford Festival
Where: Stratford, ON
When: April 8 to October 29, 2023

Founded in the 1950s as a festival of Shakespearean theatre, the Stratford Festival has a storied history of memorable productions involving many famous Shakespearean actors, including Christopher Plummer, Alec Guinness and Maggie Smith. The festival has since expanded to include other classics, contemporary dramas and musicals across venues in the small city of Stratford, a two-hour drive west of Toronto. Click here to learn more.

Ottawa Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival
Where: Ottawa, ON
When: June 21 to 26, 2023

Bringing together Indigenous artists, performers, educators, students and community members, the festival is a multi-disciplinary celebration of Canada’s diverse Indigenous cultures in Ottawa’s beautiful Greenbelt. Click here to learn more.

Quebec

Canadian Grand Prix
Where: Montreal, QC
When: June 15 to 18, 2023

A mainstay of the annual Formula One World Championship, the Canadian Grand Prix has been held at Montreal’s famous Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (formerly known as the Circuit Ile Notre-Dame) since 1978. Click here to learn more.

Just for Laughs
Where: Montreal, QC
When: July 14 to 29, 2023

The world’s largest international comedy festival, Just for Laughs in Montreal features both big-name and up-and-coming comedians in its line-up of shows and performances across multiple venues. Click here to learn more.

Plan your trip with one of Canada’s best no-fee credit card

If you’re planning to attend a festival this summer, be sure to book your trip with a travel-friendly credit card like the Home Trust Preferred Visa. When you use the Home Trust Preferred Visa, you will earn 1% cash back on all eligible purchases and benefit from no caps on the cash back you earn. You can also request a guaranteed hotel reservation and your room will be held for you even if you arrive late. Learn more by visiting hometrust.ca/credit-cards/preferred-visa-card.

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